staple right

The staple right (also translated stacking right or storage right, both from the German Stapelrecht) was a medieval right accorded to certain ports, the staple ports, that required merchant barges or ships to unload their goods at the port, and display them for sale for a certain period, often three days. Only after this option had been given to the local customers was the trader allowed to reload his cargo and travel onwards with the remaining unsold freight. Limited staple rights were sometimes given to towns along major trade-routes, e.g. Görlitz obtained staple rights for salt and woad.